Sandwiched between the rivers Varuna and Ashi as they join the Ganges, Varanasi takes its name from its location. It is also called Kashi, the city of light, but the British, in an endeavor to simplify matters, had coined their own name for the place—Benaras. Varanasi is the city of a thousand temples. The main object of all devotees is the Kasi Vishwanath Temple. According to Hindu belief, Benaras or Varanasi as it is known, is the cosmic center of the Universe. The renowned American novelist Mark Twain once wrote, "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together."


Temples form the major source of attraction in this ancient city. The banks of the Ganges, considered to be a sacred river by the Hindus, are the centre of much of the religious activity that occurs in the city. The ghats built along the banks of the river for such religious activity also form a major source of attraction here.


The Alamgir Mosque is a blend of the Hindu and Mughal styles of the architecture. The Durga Temple is built in the North Indian style with an ornate shikhara, consisting of five segments symbolizing the elements and supported by finely carved columns. The Vishwanath Temple, built by the Birlas, was planned by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. The Bharat Mata Temple houses, instead of gods and goddesses, a huge relief map in marble of the whole of Indian subcontinent and Tibetan plateau. The Tulsi Manas Temple, built in 1964, is dedicated to Lord Rama. The Banaras Hindu University, built in 1917, is one of the oldest educational centres in India. The Archaeological Museum, located at Sarnath, houses the capitol from the Ashokan pillar besides the figures and the sculptures from the Mauryan, Kushana and Gupta periods.


The Ghats Of Varanasi
In this ancient city of pilgrimage, the bathing ghats are main attraction. People flock here in large numbers every day to take bath and worship in the temples built beside the river bank. Centuries old tradition to offer puja to the rising Sun is still maintained.


Bharat Mata Temple
This temple is dedicated to Mother India. Just one kilometer from the Varanasi station. The temple is built in the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth which was built by Babu Shiv Prasad Gupt. This temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936 so that the citizens could respect Mother India in statue form. The statute is built in marble. The statue is a replica of undivided India in three dimension which has the mountains, plains and oceans in right proportion.


How to Reach

• By Air
  Varanasi is well connected to Bhubaneshwar, Lucknow, Agra & Delhi.
• By Rail
  Varanasi is connected by rail with all the major cities.
• By Road
  Agra- 610 kms, Allahabad- 127 kms, Bodh Gaya- 240 kms, Gorakhpur- 215 kms, Khajuraho- 406 kms, Kushinagar- 260 kms, Lucknow- 320 kms, Lumbini- 320 kms, Patna- 270 kms Calcutta- 681 kms, Bombay- 1550 kms, Delhi- 710 kms etc.